Will TON Be Everyday Blockchain by 2027?

Key Takeaways

• TON is the only blockchain natively integrated into Telegram, which has over 900 million global users.

• More than 150 million accounts and 2 million daily transactions are already active on TON.

• Tether’s launch of USDT ($1.00) on TON in 2024 accelerated adoption.

• TON’s Mini Apps (Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, Catizen) are onboarding millions seamlessly.

• Daily active users could grow from under 40,000 two years ago to over 10 million by 2027.

• Unlike Ethereum or Solana, TON is focused on habit-driven adoption rather than speculation.

• Its potential expansion into the U.S. market could further accelerate global growth.

Introduction

Ethereum remains the backbone of decentralized finance and smart contract innovation, yet it continues to struggle with its most important promise: mass adoption. Despite nearly a decade of development, Ethereum-based applications are still too complex, fragmented, and costly for the average user.

The Open Network (TON) is pursuing an entirely different vision, and this vision is already taking shape within Telegram.

With more than 900 million global users, Telegram is the largest active social layer in crypto, and TON is the only blockchain embedded directly into it. The goal isn’t simply to build decentralized applications but to make Web3 invisible to the user — seamlessly integrated into familiar interfaces.

From Concept to Cultural Layer

First conceived in 2018 as a way to integrate blockchain technology into Telegram’s messaging platform, TON required several years to build out its infrastructure and ecosystem. By 2024, however, it had entered a period of rapid growth, accelerated by Tether’s May decision to launch USDT on the chain.

This year, TON has firmly positioned itself as an essential part of the omnichain ecosystem. A significant wallet upgrade in March added trading and TON staking to more than 100 million Telegram Wallet users. Over the past two years, TON has also introduced core infrastructure such as TON DNS, TON Storage, and TON Proxy, creating decentralized solutions for domains, storage, and privacy.

As a result, TON has successfully leveraged Telegram’s massive user base to onboard millions into Web3 in a way that feels closer to Web2. More than 150 million accounts have been created on the network, which processes an average of 2 million daily transactions. The number of monthly active wallets is also around 2 million. While these milestones are impressive, TON has not yet surpassed other leading blockchain ecosystems but it is steadily closing the gap.

What TON Does Differently

Unlike traditional blockchain projects that emphasize building ecosystems, TON focuses on delivering tools users already understand, with crypto quietly running in the background. The Telegram Wallet, accessible to millions worldwide, transforms tokens from speculative assets into practical instruments usable within chats, channels, games, and peer-to-peer interactions.

The future of crypto adoption and everyday use is clear: it will become frictionless. Current barriers such as gas fees, seed phrase management, and wallet complexity will gradually fade away. The history of the internet itself suggests that Web3 adoption will mirror Web2’s trajectory — simplified UX, reduced technical burden, and deep integration within a single interface.

The next wave of retail blockchain adoption will be driven by networks that abstract complexity, offer low-cost transactions, and are tightly integrated with existing Web2 platforms. Ethereum, despite its dominance, continues to struggle with scalability. Other next-generation chains may offer speed and scalability, but they lack the distribution channels Web2 provides. TON, with its native presence inside Telegram’s billion-strong ecosystem, checks every box.

The Mini Apps ecosystem is the centerpiece of this strategy. Leveraging Telegram’s reach of 900 million users, apps such as Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen are onboarding millions — many of whom remain unaware that blockchain infrastructure powers their experience. These apps are proving that Web3 can be both scalable and seamless.

While Ethereum has been promising to onboard the “next billion users” since 2018, TON is already doing so, one meme, one microtransaction, and one tap at a time. By contrast, Ethereum applications such as Uniswap or Aave demand browser extensions, seed phrases, and an understanding of gas fees. Even Solana and BNB Chain, though faster and more liquid, rely on external wallets and traditional onboarding flows. TON eliminates these pain points completely.

A New Behavioral Norm

TON’s rise is happening alongside broader shifts within the crypto sector. Global trust in centralized platforms is declining, while demand grows for ecosystems offering self-custody, interoperability, and smooth UX. While Ethereum Layer 2s and rollups focus on scaling, TON is reaching users where they already are, inside Telegram.

At the same time, the wider crypto community is weary of over-engineered user flows, speculative volatility, and fragmented onboarding. TON is benefiting from the surge in Mini App usage, a format first popularized in Asia by platforms like WeChat, and now gaining worldwide traction. By embedding crypto into everyday activities, TON fits seamlessly into a mobile-first lifestyle.

The platform has also shown resilience. Even during the arrest of Pavel Durov in 2024, TON continued functioning independently, demonstrating its increasing decentralization. Telegram is also taking measures to ensure the network does not depend on a single entity, strengthening its long-term stability.

TON Might Define the Next Era of Blockchain

Where does all this momentum lead? Based on adoption trends, TON could surpass 2.6 million daily active users by 2026 and exceed 10 million by 2027. For perspective, just two years ago, the network had fewer than 40,000 daily active users. Meanwhile, Ethereum has maintained roughly 420,000 daily active accounts, while Solana has surged past 5 million, driven largely by airdrops and memecoin activity.

TON’s growth, however, is different. Whereas Solana’s rise is tied to speculation and short-term incentives, TON’s adoption is rooted in habitual behaviors like tipping, gaming, and payments, interactions repeated millions of times inside Telegram.

Telegram itself is both crypto-friendly and crypto-native, making it the world’s fourth most popular messaging app and the leading blockchain-enabled social platform. TON is the blockchain powering its Mini Apps, giving it a distribution advantage no other project can match.

Looking forward, TON’s potential entry into the U.S. market could bring millions of additional users, particularly from platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. The American crypto landscape is competitive and heavily regulated, but TON’s mobile-first design, smooth UX, and Telegram integration offer it a unique opportunity. As a hub for creators, microtransactions, and monetization, TON could carve out a niche that Ethereum and other chains have overlooked.

By 2027, Ethereum may still dominate DeFi, and Solana may remain a leader in liquidity and trading. Yet TON is positioned to own something different: the everyday blockchain layer of the internet. A network people use without even thinking about it because it’s embedded in the apps they already use daily.

Conclusion

TON represents a paradigm shift in blockchain adoption. While Ethereum has pioneered DeFi and Solana has surged in trading and liquidity, TON is carving out the everyday use case. Its seamless integration into Telegram makes blockchain interactions nearly invisible, embedding crypto into daily digital habits. With its rapid growth trajectory and unique distribution advantage, TON could become the world’s first true everyday blockchain by 2027.

FAQs

What makes TON different from Ethereum and Solana?

TON is integrated into Telegram, allowing millions of users to interact with crypto through familiar apps without facing the usual onboarding complexities. Ethereum and Solana, while powerful, require separate wallets and more technical knowledge.

How many people use TON today?

As of 2024, TON has over 150 million created accounts, approximately 2 million daily transactions, and around 2 million monthly active wallets.

Why was Tether’s launch on TON important?

Tether’s integration of USDT ($1.00) in May 2024 provided liquidity and practical use cases, boosting adoption across the ecosystem.

What are Mini Apps, and why are they significant?

Mini Apps are lightweight, blockchain-enabled applications inside Telegram. They let users interact with games, payments, and tipping seamlessly, often without realizing blockchain is involved.

Could TON overtake Ethereum in the future?

Ethereum will likely remain the leader in DeFi, but TON has the potential to dominate everyday blockchain usage due to its distribution via Telegram.